Generation of Superposition States and Charge-Qubit Relaxation Probing in a Circuit

We demonstrate how a superposition of coherent states can be generated for a microwave field inside a coplanar transmission line coupled to a single superconducting charge qubit, with the addition of a single classical magnetic pulse for chirping of the qubit transition frequency. We show how the qubit dephasing induces decoherence on the field superposition state, and how it can be probed by the qubit charge detection. The character of the charge qubit relaxation process itself is imprinted in the field state decoherence profile.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Pion-Pion Phase-Shifts and the Value of Quark-Antiquark Condensate in the Chiral Limit

We use low energy pion-pion phase-shifts in order to make distinction between the alternatives for the value of the quark-antiquark condensate $B_0$ in the chiral limit. We will consider the amplitude up to and including ${\cal O}(p^4)$ contributions within the Standard and Generalized Chiral Perturbation Theory frameworks. They are unitarized by means of Pad\'e approximants in order to fit experimental phase-shifts in the resonance region. As the best fits correspond to $\alpha = \beta = 1$, we conclude that pion-pion phase-shift analysis favors the standard ChPT scenario, which assumes just one, large leading order parameter $_{_0}$.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures and 1 tabl

Simulated ecology-driven sympatric speciation

We introduce a multi-locus genetically acquired phenotype, submitted to mutations and with selective value, in an age-structured model for biological aging. This phenotype describes a single-trait effect of the environment on an individual, and we study the resulting distribution of this trait among the population. In particular, our simulations show that the appearance of a double phenotypic attractor in the ecology induces the emergence of a stable polymorphism, as observed in the Galapagos finches. In the presence of this polymorphism, the simulations generate short-term speciation, when mating preferences are also allowed to suffer mutations and acquire selective value.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, uses package RevTe

Effectiveness of repetitive influenza vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection among a cohort of health care workers in Portugal

Vaccination for influenza has been essential over the years to protect the most vulnerable populations. Moreover, it was recently suggested that influenza vaccination might confer some nonspecific immunity to other viruses and be associated with a lower risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) morbidity and mortality. Therefore, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of repetitive influenza vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection in a cohort of health care workers (HCWs). This study was conducted among HCWs at São João University Hospital Center (CHUSJ), Porto, Portugal, a tertiary reference hospital for diagnosis and therapy, one of the largest hospitals in the country with approximately 6000 HCWs. We analyzed databases for influenza vaccination conducted between 2012 and 2019 and COVID-19 laboratory testing retrieved from the first and last registered positive COVID test date before HCW's COVID-19 vaccination started. The study outcome was the incidence of the first SARS-CoV-2 infection, as determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Age and sex were considered potential confounders. We used multivariable Cox regression to estimate odds ratios. Neither the absolute number nor the proportion of influenza shots influenced the risk of getting infected by SARS-CoV-2 (adjusted odds ratio 1.02, 95% CI: 0.9–1.06 and 1.17 95% CI: 0.86–1.58, respectively). Similar findings were observed in most cases when the analysis was restricted by year. The findings from our retrospective observational analysis of a HCWs cohort failed to support any protective effect between repetitive influenza vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection

Oxygen Increases Lung Inflammatory Response in Spontaneous One-Lung Ventilation in Rabbits: A Prospective Randomized Experimental Study

Study objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate if oxygen supplementation would increase lung inflammatory response in a spontaneous one-lung ventilation animal model, when compared to room-air oxygen fraction. Design: In vivo prospective randomized animal study Setting: University research laboratory Subjects: New Zealand rabbits Interventions: Rabbits (n=20) were randomly assigned to 2 groups (n=10 each group). Groups (OS – Oxygen Supplemented, and NOS – Non-Oxygen Supplemented) were submitted to spontaneous One-Lung Ventilation (OLV) during 60 minutes; OS group had a 2-liter/minute oxygen supplement, and NOS group was kept on roomair. Ketamine/xylazine was administered for induction and maintenance of anesthesia. One-lung ventilation was achieved by administration of air into interpleural space, and left lung collapse was visually confirmed through the center of diaphragm. Clinical monitoring and arterial blood gas analyses were performed in all rabbits. Measurements: Lung histology plates were observed under light microscopy for quantification of inflammatory response (light, moderate and severe). Main results: All subjects had at least light inflammatory response. However, rabbits submitted to oxygen supplementation had a statistically significant value for the occurrence of moderate inflammation (p<0.001). The inflammatory cells found were mainly eosinophils and neutrophils in an average proportion of 80/20. Oxygen partial pressure increased in both groups with a higher proportion in OS group (p<0.001). Conclusion: In this spontaneous OLV model, the use of oxygen supplementation was associated with a greater inflammatory response.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Two-Dimensional Analogue of General Relativity

General Relativity in three or more dimensions can be obtained by taking the limit $\omega\rightarrow\infty$ in the Brans-Dicke theory. In two dimensions General Relativity is an unacceptable theory. We show that the two-dimensional closest analogue of General Relativity is a theory that also arises in the limit $\omega\rightarrow\infty$ of the two-dimensional Brans-Dicke theory.Comment: 8 pages, LaTeX, preprint DF/IST-17.9

BLACK HOLES IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL DILATON GRAVITY THEORIES

Three dimensional black holes in a generalized dilaton gravity action theory are analysed. The theory is specified by two fields, the dilaton and the graviton, and two parameters, the cosmological constant and the Brans-Dicke parameter. It contains seven different cases, of which one distinguishes as special cases, string theory, general relativity and a theory equivalent to four dimensional general relativity with one Killing vector. We study the causal structure and geodesic motion of null and timelike particles in the black hole geometries and find the ADM masses of the different solutions.Comment: 19 pages, latex, 4 figures as uuencoded postscript file